Higher inflammation in the 20s linked to executive dysfunction in middle age

A new Neurology Research has found that people who experience consistently higher or moderate inflammation during early adulthood may be much more susceptible to poor executive function in middle age.

The term “executive function” is used to define a set of complex cognitive skills that enable people to organize and plan ahead, prioritize tasks, regulate their emotions and attention, develop time management skills and ignoring constant distractions.

Although multiple contributing factors can lead to executive dysfunction in different types of neurological disorders, previous studies have linked higher inflammation in older adults to dementia.

“We know from long-term studies that changes in the brain that lead to Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia can take decades to develop,” said the book’s first author. Neurology study, Amber Bahorik of the UCSF Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Weill Institute for Neurosciences, in a press release. “We wanted to see whether health and lifestyle habits in early adulthood could play a role in cognitive skills in middle age, which in turn could influence the likelihood of dementia later in life.”

After their analysis of data from 2,364 people who were part of the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study, Bahorik and colleagues found that only 10% of study participants with low inflammation failed cognitive tests that tested their memory. and processing ability. speed. While 19% of people with higher inflammation had poor test results, and a further 21% of those with moderate inflammation levels also lagged behind compared to those with lower inflammation.

In a press release, senior author Kristine Yaffe, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, neurology and epidemiology and biostatistics at UCSF, said: “Inflammation plays an important role in cognitive aging and can begin as early as early adulthood. There is likely a direct and indirect effect of inflammation on cognition.”

“Fortunately, there are ways to reduce inflammation – such as increasing physical activity and quitting smoking – that may be promising avenues for prevention,” Yaffe added.

Of the 2,364 people who participated in the study, 55% were women, 57% were white and the remainder were black. Their average age was 50 years. About 45% had lower or stable inflammation, 16% had moderate inflammation and 39% had higher inflammation levels.

Each participant underwent tests that revealed their inflammation levels over 18 years. The researchers measured their inflammation levels using an inflammatory marker known as C-reactive protein.

Five years after recording their C-reactive protein levels, they gave each participant cognitive tests. And by then, most of the participants were between forty and fifty years old.

In addition to dementia, studies have also linked chronic inflammation to conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and depression.

The main factors contributing to chronic inflammation are smoking/tobacco use, alcohol consumption, repeated viral or bacterial infections, exposure to air and/or water pollution, and even pre-existing allergies.

Health care providers say that reducing your sugar intake and consistently consuming more fruits, vegetables, and other fiber-rich foods like legumes and legumes can help reduce inflammation.